Various on-line services networks are currently in existence, including Compuserve, Prodigy, and America On-Line. End users typically access these networks using a microcomputer equipped with a modem. During a logon session, a user can use a variety of information-related services and communications services, including news services, weather services, bulletin board services, email, and the like.
Existing architectures for on-line services networks suffer from a number of limitations. For example, existing on-line services networks do not provide an adequate means for allocating processing resources to user service requests, and thus do not make efficient use of available processing resources. Additionally, many existing on-line services networks do not provide a means for updating service applications without temporarily taking services off-line. Further, existing on-line services networks are not capable of allowing a user to access multiple services at a time.
It is an object of the invention to provide an on-line services network architecture which overcomes these and other limitations of the prior art.